Press compensator



Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,680,891 PATENT OFFICE.

'.-QTMES CAIRO!) LEDBETTR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE PROSPERITY COMPANY, INC., O F SYRAC'USE, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK'.

PRESS COMPENSATOB.

sppuemun mea august 14, 1925. serial m. 50,149.

. This invention relates to pressing machines as for example garment presses and ironing machines and more particularl relates to improvements in means for justl abl' mounting a press head on a press lever an which improvements I refer to as a press compensator. Y

Jaw type pressing machines now in gen-- eral use ordinarily employ a toggle or other suitable operating mechanism for closingY the press head or ironing jaw. The toggle necessarily has combined therewith a presi sure adjusterfor varying the ressure between the jaws'by regulating t e clearance between thev pressing jaws so that .the machine may be made to receive thick heavv garments at one time, or thin lightweight.

garments at -another time. This pressure adjuster is a necessary adJunct to pressing mac 'nes and frequently takes the form of a han -wheel screw, or possiblya cam device, or other means for finely regulatin the length ofthe toggle within desired limlts so as to cause the head to close wlth greater pressure against the buck at one time than at another.

Likewise, presses 1 now in use employ evener or compensation means as springs, at the point where the head is attached to the front end of the press lever which is to even 'up and compensate `for unevenness in the garment or other work to be ressed and'tol permit the meeting faces o the pressing i members t6 engage as uniformly as `posslble all the way across the eof.

The pressure adjuster and` the compensator comprise two separate parts separately located; and itis 1n the mam an object of this invention to eliminate one v of the parts, namely, the hand wheel pressure ad- Juster and combine its function with an improved compensator located as usual o n the press head. In other words, IY provide a combination pressurer adjuster and comp;- -sator in one andthe same part thereby e inating one ofthe parts from the press .,structure'.

It follows, therefore, that my improvements accomplish several purposes, namely,

pressure adjustment, ieldable pressure, and

anchorage of the hea to the lever with rel-.

ative oscillating movement therebetween -whch is lcom nsation; and that all these functions are inherently inone compact part located at one place on the press instead off being made of two parts and located at different points.

Having the above objects and others in fview, reference is now made to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings which illustrates a side view of the pressing machine in -closed position.

Figure 2 shows afragmentary side view of one ]aw of the press illustrating in section the construction of the combination leaf spring compensator and pressure regulator -and `showing the attaching means which anchors it to the press jaw and to the press lever, this view being taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3. 1

Figure 3 i1lustrates a fragmentary plan view of a pressing machine with the leaf spring compensator disposed between the lever and jaw.

Figure 4 illustrates a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing an adjustable wedge by which the distance i s varied between thelever and the press Jaw. e f e Figure 5 illustrates a crosssectional view taken on the linee-5 of :Figure 3 to show the construction of means for attaching the ends of the spring to the jaw.

front end of the press lever is'usually made with a handle 13 by which the operator assists in raising and lowering the press head or jaw 14 high above Athe buck or lower jaw 15. It is the usual practice to provide toggle means or other suitable actuating mechanism on the rear end of the press lever 11 by which the llever is pivoted up and down in he frame to open and close the press. This mechanism is not shown since it has no bearing on the present invention, but it will be explained that it is the usual practice to include a pressure regulator (also not shown) as a part of said actuating mechanism, but with my invention the pressure regulator-is eliminated from-the actuating mechanism and becomes a part of the` compensator on the head.

A leaf spring 17 isinterposed between the press lever 11 and the pressing head or jaw 1 4 and this-spring is itted with adjustment' lever and head to be varied in order that greater or less pressure be obtained in operating the press. The leaf spring 17 preferably has its outer ends attached to the head 14 while its central portion is attached to the lever 11, but this arrangement may be reversed if desired. Loops 18 are anchored to the head 14 and each loop is p rovided with an opening therein to receive each end of the spring which ends are movably confined in the loops 18 to permit slight crawling motion as between the spring ends and the head when the springs flex down under pressure of the lever.

The adjustable anchor means for attaching the spring 17 to the lever 11 comprises an adjustable anchor U-bolt 20 which straddles the spring 17 and straddles the lever 11. Each part of the U-bolt 20 passes upwardly through an ear 21 made on the lever l1. The lower portion of the anchor bolt carries an integral fiat spring seat 22 which rests on the underneath side of the spring 17 and a stationary wedge shaped plate 23 is held immovable by a bolt 24 on the upper side of the spring 17. An adjustable movable slide wedge 25 is interposed between the press lever 11 and the stationary wedge plate 23.

The stationary wedge 23 and the movable adjustable wedge 25 cooperate to provide outer parallel faces which steadies the spring 17 and holds its rigid on the press lever 11 at the central portion thereof while the outer ends of the spring are free to Hex or spring up and down. Nuts are tightened up on each leg of the U-bolt 20 thereby locking the two wedges in place. By loosening the anchor bolt 20, the slidable adjustable wedge 25 may be moved in or out to regulate the separating distance between the spring 17 and press lever 11 thereby enabling the operator to adjust the pressure exerted by the head 14 on the buck 15 when the press closes. In order to press very thick work, the wedge 25 may be slid outwardly and the anchor bolts 20 tightened up thus providing more clearance be'- tween the cooperating press jaws. Conversely, for thin work the wedge 25 is adjusted inwardly to bring the head 14 closer to the buck 15 thus accommodating the press jaws to thin work.

It is usually necessary to provide what is called compensating or evener means on garment presses and ironing machines in order that uniformity of contact be secured as between large area meeting jaws. Should the garment be thicker on one side than another, then that portion of the press jaws would engage first. The compensator referred to must permit the jaws to yield or move along a longitudinal axis relatively to the press lever and thus a slight relative motion is afforded by the leaf spring 17 as well as provide adjustment means to vary the pressure.

The compensating function is not necessarily adjustable, at least 4it need not be and this function is inherent in the long flexible spring ends. Compensation is independent of and bears no relation to the pressure ad j uster. The pressure adjuster is necessarily variableby the wedge 25 and does not interfere with or bear any relation to the compensating function of the ring. In other words the spring 17 is t e compensator while the wedge 25 is the pressure re ator, and they are combined into a single compact simple structure.

What I claim is:

1. A pressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating pressmg jaw parts adapted to open and close on the work, a press lever part for attachment with one jaw, a leaf spring interposed between the lever and jaw, anchor means attaching the ends of the spring to one part, anchor means attaching the center of the spring to the other part, and adjusting means cooperating with the spring and one of the parts to vary the distance therebetween and thereby to vary the distance between the lever and jaw to regulate the closing pressure between the jaws.

2. A pressing machine comprising cooperating jaws, a press 'lever adapted to raise and lower a jaw, a leaf spring inter- 'posed between the lever and jaw, means to attach the spring to said lever and jaw, adjustingvmeans carried centrally on the sprin to vary the distance between the lever and the leaf spring, and a loose connecting means attaching the ends of the spring to the jaw affording a freedom of motion between the jaw and the spring ends.

3. A pressing machine comprising cooperating jaws, a press lever adapted to raise and lower a jaw, a leaf spring interposed between the lever 'and jaw, and means to attach the spring to said lever and jaw, a slidable adjusting wedge carried centrally on the spring and movable to vary the distance between the lever and spring, means locking thewedge in fixed position, and means attaching the ends' of the spring to the jaw affording freedom of motion between the jaw and the sprin ends.

4. A press regulator an compensator, comprising a lever, an arched leaf sprin anchored thereto, a pressing member carrie by the leaf spring, and an adjustable means carried between the leaf spring and press regulating means, anchor means for attachlever by which the distance between the ing the leaf spring to the lever and to the leverrand spring may be varied. jaw, and a regulating means cooperating 5. A pressure regulating means and comwith the leaf spring and with the lever to 5 pensating means for a press having jaws, vary the distance therebetween independ- 15 comprising a lever attached to one of the jaws ently of the compensating means. to. open and close the press, a leaf spring In testimony whereof I aHX my signadisposed between the lever and the press ture. I

. jaw to aford compensation between the 10 meeting press jaws independently of the JAMES CAMROD LEDBETTER. 

